Howard excited about Singapore trip

The Merseysiders head to the Far East to compete in the Asia Cup against the likes of Arsenal, Stoke City and a Singaporean invitational team next month.

"I've not been to Singapore before. I have been out that way once or twice. I am looking forward to it and it should be a good trip," he is quoted as saying by the official Everton website.

"It will be so good for our preparations because it's a great tournament with strong teams. The climate will be quite hot and sticky, which will be hard going but will pay dividends down the road and help us get our fitness up.

"We are proud of all our fans. We know we have fans in Singapore and that's a good reason to get ourselves up and go there and show that we appreciate their support."